''The Earthling'' is a 1980 American-Australian
adventure film directed by
Peter Collinson, and starring
William Holden
William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor, and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film ''Stalag 17'' (1953) ...
and
Ricky Schroder. It was filmed in
Australia in 1979, and was the last to be directed by Collinson before his death the following year.
Plot
Patrick Foley goes to the
outback while dying of
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
. He declines medicine and is at peace with his decision to die alone in the
forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
. As he sees a family
camping
Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more na ...
, Shawn Daley discovers his parents losing control of the
recreational vehicle and falling to their deaths. Despite having an
ethical dilemma
In philosophy, ethical dilemmas, also called ethical paradoxes or moral dilemmas, are situations in which an agent stands under two (or more) ''conflicting moral requirements'', none of which ''overrides'' the other. A closely related definition c ...
, Foley accompanies Shawn. After days of educating survival, they forgive each other. As Foley dies, Shawn continues travelling.
Production
The film was shot from September to October 1979 in the Blue Mountains, Barrington Forest and
Warrumbungle National Park
Warrumbungle National Park is a heritage listed national park located in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. The national park is located approximately northwest of Sydney and contained within . The park attracts approximately vi ...
. It was reported that Holden and Schroder got along while filming. Schroder named one of his children Holden in honour of his co-star.
Briann Kearney was assistant to the director.
Reception
The film drew greatly mixed reviews, with some critics reviling it, while others praised it. It played to little notice in theatres, but later became something of a daytime staple on
HBO and other cable-movie channels in the 1980s. It grossed $72,000 for box office in Australia.
''Film Victoria – Australian Films at the Australian Box Office''
/ref>
See also
* Cinema of Australia
References
External links
*
*
''The Earthling''
at Oz Movies
The Earthling at the National Film and Sound Archive
1980 films
1980 drama films
Australian adventure drama films
1980s adventure drama films
Films directed by Peter Collinson
Films set in Australia
Filmways films
Films set in deserts
Films set in forests
Films about orphans
1980s English-language films
1980s Australian films
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